Recruiting Participants

Phyllis J. Eide

In qualitative inquiry, recruitment refers to the process whereby the researcher identifies and invites (recruits) participants to join the study. Qualitative researchers strive to include participants who meet the study criteria and who represent the richest and most complex source of information (data) relevant to the phenomena being studied. The specific research questions will guide the choice of the research design that is best suited to address the study objectives. A major element of the research design involves developing guidelines as to who will be recruited for the proposed study. “Inclusion” and “exclusion” criteria address who will be approached (involving criteria such as age group, diagnosis, geographic location, and ethnic background) and, on occasion, when they will be approached (e.g., requiring participants to be at a specific disease stage). Careful design of a sampling strategy and recruitment scheme will help to ensure maximum discovery and knowledge about the phenomena under ...

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Qualitative research is designed to explore the human elements of a given topic, while specific qualitative methods examine how individuals see and experience the world. Qualitative approaches are typically used to explore new phenomena and to capture individuals' thoughts, feelings, or interpretations of meaning and process. Such methods are central to research conducted in education, nursing, sociology, anthropology, information studies, and other disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and health sciences. Qualitative research projects are informed by a wide range of methodologies and theoretical frameworks.The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods presents current and complete information as well as ready-to-use techniques, facts, and examples from the field of qualitative research in a very accessible style. In taking an interdisciplinary approach, these two volumes target a broad audience and fill a gap in the existing reference literature for a general guide to the core concepts that inform qualitative research practices. The entries cover every major facet of qualitative methods, including access to research participants, data coding, research ethics, the role of theory in qualitative research, and much more—all without overwhelming the informed reader.Key FeaturesDefines and explains core concepts, describes the techniques involved in the implementation of qualitative methods, and presents an overview of qualitative approaches to research; Offers many entries that point to substantive debates among qualitative researchers regarding how concepts are labeled and the implications of such labels for how qualitative research is valuedl; Guides readers through the complex landscape of the language of qualitative inquiry; Includes contributors from various countries and disciplines that reflect a diverse spectrum of research approaches from more traditional, positivist approaches, through postmodern, constructionist ones; Presents some entries written in first-person voice and others in third-person voice to reflect the diversity of approaches that define qualitative workKey ThemesApproaches and Methodologies; Arts-Based Research, Ties to; Computer Software; Data Analysis; Data Collection; Data Types and Characteristics; Dissemination; History of Qualitative Research; Participants; Quantitative Research, Ties to; Research Ethics; Rigor; Textual Analysis, Ties to; Theoretical and Philosophical FrameworksThe SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods is designed to appeal to undergraduate and graduate students, practitioners, researchers, consultants, and consumers of information across the social sciences, humanities, and health sciences, making it a welcome addition to any academic or public library.